AN ANSWER from Public Services to a question from this newspaper has explained at a stroke why the removal of 200 car parking spaces from North Beach is a done deal and why the department is unconcerned about the consequences.

‘The department owns the land at the North Beach but is not mandated to manage public parking. This is the responsibility of the Environment Department. Any additional creation of parking space would need to be recommended by the Environment Department,’ its spokesman said.

At a glance, islanders can see where PSD is coming from: ‘It’s our property, we can do what we like with it. You are lucky to be parking there at all. Not enough spaces? That’s for someone else to deal with…’

That might be the strict position PSD finds itself in as the minister and his officials withdraw into the silo of departmental non-accountability, but islanders are wondering who is taking a holistic view of what’s going on.

Environment cannot be trusted to look after Town user and commuter interests. Indeed, the massive disservice it did to the community by refusing a States instruction on introducing paid parking is coming home to roost.

Much-needed extra parking could be provided but PSD won’t spend the money and Environment, the parking committee, has no budget. Without an income from the spaces, neither the States nor anyone else will provide them.

When the time comes, will Environment simply reduce the 10-hours by 200? That would be one way of encouraging people onto the bus service its own stewardship has driven to a standstill. It would also reduce the risk of ‘floating shoppers’ going elsewhere while the crane and berth repairs are carried out.

Longer term, however, has North Beach any future as a car park? For PSD, it’s simply a part of the harbour for which it has little use and receives no income. Its forthcoming 25-year Ports Master Plan will change that and recommend revenue-producing development of a currently wasted taxpayer asset.

And under the ‘joined up’ system Guernsey has, it will be up to Environment to solve the parking crisis.

Which is why nothing improves.